Apparatus for lining container closures



1, 1967 G. KOKINDA 3,33%?1 APPARATUS FOR LINING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed March 16, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l ZEMFP? :11 E

: T r I N I 1 5 I l 1 P441- INVENTOR. 454265 A/0K/A/04 ATTORNEY Aug. 1, 1967 G.

APPARATUS FORLINING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed March 16, 1964 KQKINDA 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f g m; w m TN .m mm m mm m W m @V v m v :2 QT. 1?. g T o QM 7. w 4 wmww w W m K Q Aug. 1, 1967 G.KOK1NDA 3,333,571

APPARATUS FOR LINING CONTAINER CLOSURES I 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed March 16, 1964 TNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,333,571 APPARATUS FOR LINING CONTAINER CLOSURES George Kokind'a, Clark, N.J., assignor to American Flange & Manufacturing Co. Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 351,942 2 Claims. (Cl. 118-318) This invention relates to the lining or gasketing of container closures and is particularly concerned with apparatus for applying gasketing material to container closures in a paste or fluid state and for the handling of such closures for such application.

In the closure art, gaskets of sealing material which form the hermetic joint between the container parts are known as lining andthe operation of applying the gaskets to the closure is known as closure lining or simply lining. For consistency with such phraseology, the term lining will accordingly be used hereinafter. Although the process of forming permanent gaskets by applying a paste or fluid gasket compound to some forms of container closures and subsequently curing the same has now become widely accepted, the adaptation of this process to the manufacture of certain forms of small lightweight closure caps has not heretofore been worked out. To begin with, the particular closure cap which the lining apparatus of the invention has been specially designed to handle is a small one, of which a size approximating that of ordinary crowns is a non-limiting example, is for-med of lightweight aluminum and has a disc-like top and a cylindrical skirt depending therearound with a gripping ear extending laterally from the free edge of such skirt. It can readily be appreciated that the problems involved in controlling the movement of such caps from one positionto another during a high speed lining operation are substantial.

Generally speaking, the type of lining apparatus upon which the improvements of the invention have been made includes as its basic elements a spinning chuck and a lining nozzle positioned axially above said chuck. The caps are fed onto the rotating surface of the spinning chuck from a supply conveyor. The chuck then moves the cap upwardly into position to receive lining material from the nozzle and a desired quantity of lining material is applied thereto. The chuck lowers the cap which is removed therefrom by a suitable mechanism. The caps so lined are transferred onto a large open mesh conveyor belt which carries them through an oven, curing and setting the lining compound at an elevated temperature. Thus each of the finished caps, on emerging from the oven, has a permanent resilient gasket formation securely adhered to its interior surface.

One problem, which has arisen in adapting the above described apparatus to the lining of aluminum caps, has been in the development of suitable means for positively controlling the movement of the cap from the time its movement toward and onto the chuck is started until it is pushed off the spinning chuck. Magnetic handling devices are ineffective for use in the movement of aluminum parts. Thus one of the features with which the invention is concerned is a mechanical restraining device for controlling the movement of the cap in combination with the means which pushes it onto the spinning chuck. The invention is also concerned with an improved spinning chuck employing suction means for receiving and holding the cap during the actual lining operation.

These and other improvements herein disclosed have not only made possible the lining of small lightweight aluminum closures by means of apparatus heretofore thought to be unsuitable for such work but have enabled the lining to be done at the high speed at which the ap- 3,333,571 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 ice paratus is otherwise capable of operating. Importantly, also the improvements of the invention can be readily incorporated into existing machinery with only minor modifications of the same thus greatly minimizing equipment cost.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for the lining of closures.

Another object is to provide apparatus for the high speed lining of relatively small lightweight aluminum closures.

A further object is to provide such apparatus incorporating means for retaining positive control of such closures as they proceed to and through the lining operation.

Further and more detailed objects will be partly obvious and partly pointed out as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved closure lining apparatus of the invention with a portion of one part broken away to show the structure beneath.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows but showing the apparatus with the push plate in advanced position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the lining nozzle, spinning chuck and actuating mechanism therefor taken on lines 44 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the cap and spinning chuck in raised lining position.

FIG. 5a is a further greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of chuck and cap in engaged suction relationship.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of an alternate form of chuck.

Considering first the general aspects of the improved lining apparatus of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the closure caps generally indicated at 1 and having bases 1a and sidewalls or skirts 1b are initially fed down a chute 2 onto the smooth moving surface of an endless conveyor belt 3 and part way under a hinged restraining plate 9. The caps are pushed off of the belt 3 by a transversely reciprocating push plate 4 having an advanced portion 5 providing a longitudinally extending flat edge surface 5a, against which the cap is initially urged by the movement of the belt 3 aided by the action of an air jet from the nozzle 27. Rearwardly of the surface'Sa the plate 4 is formed with a concavely curved cap engaging surface or seat 6. Also included in the mechanism for feeding caps into the position of the cap indicated by numeral 1 in FIG. 1 is an air-operated plunger device 7, see FIG. 2, having a vertically reciprocating stopper member 8 which controls intermittently feeding of the caps 1 against the push plate surface 5a.

As the push plate 4 moves toward the cap 1 from its FIG. 1 position, its surface 6 engages the cap 1 about its skirt 1b and pushes the cap oif of the belt 3 onto the top surface 20 of the machine while the cap is still partially underneath the restraining plate 9. As the push plate continues, it pushes the cap out from under the far edge of the push plate and onto the spinning chuck generally indicated at 10. Positioned in vertically spaced relationship above the spinning chuck 10 is the lining nozzle 11 which applies a predetermined quantity of the lining compound to the cap in a manner to be described in greater detail hereinafter. Also somewhat diagrammatically shown is a nozzle heating means 12 which assures that already fluid compound will have adequate flowability as it leaves the nozzle 11. After the compound has been applied, the cap is removed from the spinning chuck 10 by a pair of push-ofl. fingers 13 and 14 which engage the cap and push it to the dot-dash position shown in FIG. 1. The push-off fingers 13 and 14 and the push plate 4 are connected through side members 15 and 16 and end members 17 and 18 so that the entire feeding mechanism forms in effect a frame which is actuated by the driving arm 19. The actual lining operation having been completed the caps are then conveyed through an oven which cures the lining compound at an elevated temperature converting it into a permanent gasket formation securely adhered to the interior surface of the cap.

Considering now the restraining plate 9 in greater detail, it is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as having a lower surface 21 which, as seen in FIG. 3, is inclined downwardly from the upper end 22 of the plate as viewed in FIG. 1 to the lower end 24 thereof. Thus the vertical height of the path which the caps follow is greatest where the plate overlies the belt 3 and is at its least at the lower end portion 23 adjacent the spinning chuck 10. This inclination is such that the cap 1 can freely move from the belt 3 onto the plane top surface of the machine without touching the undersurface 21 of the restraining plate 9. As the cap is pushed along its path underneath the plate by the push plate 4, the upper free edge 33 of the cap skirt eventually comes in contact with the surface 21 resulting in that surface exerting a restraining or braking action on the cap This action is exerted independently on each cap as it is individually fed under the plate 9.

The extreme end 24 of the restraining plate 9 lies in such horizontally spaced relationship to the center suction opening 26 in the chuck seat 25, that the leading portion of the cap 1 extends over the suction opening 26 before the trailing portion of the cap has completely cleared the end 24 of the restraining plate 9. Thus there is no position in the path of movement of the cap where it is completely free and where the possibility exists of its being accidentally thrown off.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the restraining plate 9 is hinged to the top surface 20 at pivot points 28 and 29 and can be swung upwardly so that access may be had to the cap path below it. The hinged mounting is important also for it enables accurate control of the restraining action exerted by the undersurface 21 on the cap by virtue of the adjusting screw 30. This screw bears against the top surface 20 and carries a locknut 31 to lock it in place after the plate is raised or lowered by turning the screw 30.

In order that the ear 32 of the cap 1 will clear the plate 9 when the cap is being rotated on the spinning chuck 10, the lower outer end portion 23 of the plate 9 is formed as a rounded tab as seen in FIG. 1. In addition, the upper surface 34 of the plate 9 is tapered towards the tab end surface 24 as seen in FIG. 3. The curved end surface 24 and the tapered surface 34 allow for the narrow spacing between the plate 9 and the spinning chuck 10 while assuring adequate clearance for the ear 32 to pass over it while the cap is rapidly rotated by the chuck.

Turning now to the details of the spinning vacuum chuck 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that the chuck seat member is held on a retaining nipple-like member which has a central bore 70 therethrough which is in turn threadedly secured at 41 on the upper end of a rotating and vertically reciprocating shaft 42. The shaft 42 is slidably keyed at 44 to a sleeve 43 which surrounds the upper portion thereof. The lower end of the shaft 42 is seated in a socket 45 formed in the upper end of an actuating member 46. The shaft 42 is free to rotate in the socket 45 but is held against axial movement with respect to the member 46 by the set screws 45a which are seated in the annular recess 42a in the shaft 42. The actuating member 46 is mounted for free reciprocating movement in a socket 47a formed in a mounting member 47.

The shaft 42 is reciprocated axially by means of an arm 48 which is suitably connected to the socket 46 through a roller 49 seated in a recess 48a in the arm 48 and carrying a pin 50 which extends through a slot 471) in the side of the mounting member 47 and seats within the actuating member at 50a.

The sleeve 43 and consequently the shaft 42 are rotated by the ring gear carried by the shaft 57 which drives the pinion 56 keyed t0 the sleeve 43 at 58. Thus the shaft 42 and sleeve 43 are rotated together while the shaft 42 can at the same time be reciprocated in that sleeve.

This chuck actuating and driving assembly is carried within a sleeve 59a forming part of a housing 59 through intervening bearing members 60 and 61 by means of a locknut 62. The housing 59 is in turn secured within the machine top 20a, providing the top surface 20, at 63 and 64. The housing also provides a removable plate 65 which surrounds the chuck 10 and forms a continuation of the surface 20.

Air is drawn through the opening 26 in the chuck seat 25 by the communicating bore extending through the upper portion of the shaft 42 and the retaining member 40. The bore 70 communicates with a laterally extending port 71 through the side of the shaft 42 which, in turn, communicates with an opening 72 in the wall of the sleeve 43. A vacuum pipe 73 extends through the sleeve 59a connecting with a passageway through the bearing 60 in communication with the opening 72. A rubber seal 67 carried at the upper end of the sleeve 43 seals against the shaft 42 to prevent loss of vacuum between the shaft and the sleeve. Similar means can be employed at the lower end of the sleeve 43.

FIG. 5 has an enlarged showing of the full chuck seat 25 while a further and greatly enlarged showing of then be lowered and freed for movement along to the baking oven conveyor. Also this means enables the lining operation to be carried on hour after hour at the rates up to several hundred a minute with the lining applied to each cap having the same symmetry in each instance.

Besides providing for the factor of the lightness of the caps, provision must also be made for absorption of any irregularities in the contour of the cap top In. These, such as slight ridges resulting from the scoring, and other surface irregularities which may arise from a variety of causes can, unless compensated for, cause a vacuum leak and cause an unsymmetrical seating or destroy the seating entirely. It has been found in accordance with the invention however, that a chuck member formed of rubber or like material of proper resiliency when properly made and properly mounted will do the job effectively.

Reverting again to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the seating member 40 terminates at its upper end in a cylindrical nose 46a. This is tightly received in a mated opening 25a extending up into the annular chuck member from the undersurface thereof concentric with the axis thereof. The opening 25a only extends up a little more than half the way through the body of the member 25. Furthermore its diameter is such as to cause it to tightly grip the nose 40a by the resilience of the rubber without however distorting the shape of the chuck.

From the upper end of the opening 25a the smaller opening 26, substantially the same size as and aligned with the bore 70, extends up through the top surface of V the chuck. This then is the passageway through which the vacuum is drawn to hold the cap tightly down against the upper surface of the chuck for the instant while the lining material is being applied. It will be apparent that if paths exist between the opposed surfaces 74 of the chuck and 1a of the cap top for pressure leaks, the holding action of the chuck will be unsatisfactory.

Referring noW to the fragmentary showing of FIG. 5a, it will be seen how the material of the chuck 25 solves the problem of a tight seal by accommodating itself to any surface irregularities in the cap surface. Also it is to be observed from this showing that the whole top of the chuck, where the cap engages it, is compressed slightly downwardly so that the cap is in effect nested thereon. This compressive action, hardly discernible to the human eye is indicated by the exaggerated lip 25b in FIG. 5a. Cap surface irregularities compensated for by the chuck are shown in exaggerated form at 74a and 7412. Due to the fact that there is substantial thickness of chuck material between the end of the nose 40a and the top surface 74 of the chuck, this yielding and conforming action of the chuck will take effect all the way into the vacuum passage 26. The cap merely needs to be pushed completely onto the chuck surface 74 by the push plate 4. The chuck does the rest.

In the modification of FIG. 6 a nipple-like member 89 which may however be an integral extension of the chuck spinning shaft is shown as being shouldered inwardly at 81 and as terminating in an upwardly extending portion 82 of reduced diameter having an exterior surface 83. This provides a seat bordered by surfaces 81 and 83 for reception of an annular yieldable resilient chucking element 84 which may hold itself on by its own resilient action or may be otherwise secured. It is important to note the upper surface or seat 85 extends slightly above the end 86 of the shaft portion 82 thereby creating a vacuum pocket 87 which acts on the bottom surface 1a of the cap. The pocket 87 also allows for the desired compression and consequent deformation in the upper portion of the chuck 84 Without the bottom surface 1a of the cap contacting the upper shaft end 86.

Closure lining apparatus embodying the improvements herein disclosed is capable of operating effectively at the high speeds needed for the economical production of such caps in the tremendous volume required by the bottlers of beverages and other products. The achievement of these high speeds arises from the fact that according to the invention the caps are mechanically restrained against inadvertent dislo-dgernent from the time they leave the feed in belt until they overlie the vacuum gripping means. Once the caps are accurately positioned on the spinning chuck by the push plate they are firmly held on the resilient chuck surface, here again eliminating the possibility of slippage or dislodgement. Upon lowering of the chuck, the caps are then easily and quickly removed by the push off fingers and conveyed into the curing oven.

Other and different variations of the invention may well suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is accordingly to be understood that the structures and relationship, shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the foregoing description are to be considered as illustrative of the invention and are not to be considered as being set forth in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for lining container closures, a ma- .chine frame having a top portion providing a flat supporting surface, means for feeding cap type closures along said supporting surface, downwardly acting yieldable restraining means including a plate extending over said supporting surface in spaced relation with respect thereto and means to hingedly mount said plate along one edge thereof with respect to said machine frame, thereby enabling said restraining action to be exerted by the position of said plate movable about said hinge, adjustable means to vary and set the spaced relationship between said plate and said supporting surface, said plate overlying said surface for holding each closure independently against said surface as the closure is fed along by said feeding means, a circular vacuum chuck member seated in an opening in said top portion and having a chucking surface generally forming a continuation of said supporting surface in one position of said chuck, said chuck being formed with an opening therethrough for the drawing of a vacuum against a closure surface, said plate extending to a position closely adjacent said chucking surface, the distance between said position and the center of said chucking surface being such that the closure is independently yieldably urged against said chucking surface by said plate, and means mounting said chuck for rotation about its center and for reciprocation between a position above said supporting surface and a position Where said supporting surface and chucking surface are substantially aligned.

2. In apparatus for lining container closures, a machine frame having a top portion providing a flat supporting surface, means for feeding cap type closures along said supporting surface, downwardly acting yieldable restraining means overlying said surface for holding said caps against said surface as the same are fed along by said feeding means, a circular vacuum chuck member seated in an opening in said top portion and having a chucking surface formed of yieldable resilient material and generally forming a continuation of said supporting surface in one position of said chuck, said chuck being formed with an opening therethrough for the drawing of a vacuum against a closure surface, said restraining means extending to a position closely adjacent said chucking surface, the distance between said position and the center of said chucking surface being such that the closure is yieldably urged against said chucking surface by said restraining means, and means mounting said chuck for rotation about its center and for reciprocation between a position above said supporting surface and a position where said supporting surface and chucking surface are substantially aligned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 904,679 11/ 1908 Bruton 279-3 2,350,569 6/1944 Reynolds 118--32O X 2,426,391 8/ 1947 Emerson 118320 X 2,442,179 5/1948 Shanklin et al 11855 2,738,197 3/1956 Stevens 2793 2,792,810 5/1957 Maconeghy et al. 118-55 X 2,846,335 8/ 1958 Alholm et al.

2,886,335 5/ 1959 Mitchell 279-3 FOREIGN PATENTS 575,967 3/1946 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

D. BLUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR LINING CONTAINER CLOSURES, A MACHINE FRAME HAVING A TOP PORTION PROVIDING A FLAT SUPPORTING SURFACE, MEANS FOR FEEDING CAP TYPE CLOSURES ALONG SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, DOWNWARDLY ACTING YIELDABLE RESTRAINING MEANS INCLUDING A PLATE EXTENDING OVER SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT THERETO AND MEANS TO HINGEDLY MOUNT SAID PLATE ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO SAID MACHINE FRAME, THEREBY ENABLING SAID RESTRAINING ACTION TO BE EXERTED BY THE POSITION OF SAID PLATE MOVABLE ABOUT SAID HINGE, ADJUSTABLE MEANS TO VARY AND SET THE SPACED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID SUPORTING SURFACE, SAID PLATE OVELYING SAID SURFACE FOR HOLDING EACH CLOSURE INDEPENDENTLY AGAINST SAID SURFACE AS THE CLOSURE IS FED ALONG BY SAID FEEDING MEANS, A CIRCULAR VACUUM CHUCK MEMBER SEATED IN AN OPENING IN SAID TOP PORTION AND HAVING A CHUCKING SURFACE GENERALLY FORMING A CONTINUATION OF SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE IN ONE POSITION OF SAID CHUCK, SAID CHUCK BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR THE DRAWING OF A VACUUM AGAINST A CLOSURE SURFACE, SAID PLATE EXTENDING TO A POSITION CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CHUCKING SURFACE, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID POSITION AND THE CENTER OF SAID CHUCKING SURFACE BEING SUCH THAT THE CLOSURE IS INDEPENDENTLY YIELDABLY URGED AGAINST SAID CHUCKING SURFACE BY SAID PLATE, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID CHUCK FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS CENTER AND FOR RECIPROCATION BETWEEN A POSITION ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND A POSITION WHERE SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND CHUCKING SURFACE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED. 